Fate
by dwellingonephemeraldreams
Summary: She's not too sure how to handle emotions. Neither is he. She's just found something to be passionate about. He's lost passion a long time ago. Her eyes are cold. His are the blue flames in a fire. They're different, they're similar, and they may or may not be meant for each other.


"_Miss, it's cold out on the deck. Best be going back inside and join whoever you came with."_

"_I didn't come with anyone."_

"_You haven't got anyone? Family, friends… no? We're the same, then. It's a lonely life, ain't it?"_

"_Mmmmm."_

"_So, where are you going?"_

"_I don't know."_

"_Ha! Well, you've got to be going someplace. You just don't know where that is yet."_

"_That's why I said 'I don't know.'"_

"…_Not a friendly person, are you?"_

"_I'm just not used to having friends."_

"_Best start now, then, cause you're stuck with me, miss."_

Bright lights. A cool towel on her forehead. A hard, uncomfortable bed, but still somehow better than the one she slept in in the ship. The ship! Wasn't there a storm? She remembered being thrown around the shared cabin and being enveloped in icy water, and… and then nothing. She tried to get up, but her body felt like it was still trapped in the sea… and weak. Her body felt weak- weaker than when she was in the orpha- _Stop. That time is over. I've left that life behind. _

"Are you awake, miss?"

_Huh_… she opened her eyes a bit more and glanced to the left of the bed she was on. A middle-aged man in a red suit and a matching hat. _That's strange. I haven't seen this man at all on the ship. _She nodded slightly before memories of the cold sea dragged her back to unconsciousness.

_Tap tap tap tap tap. _Rain attacked the tin roof and forced her awake. Sleep seemed to have made her recover quite quickly and she was able to sit up and look around her. She was in a small, wooden… room? Cottage? There was no way it could be considered a house. All that was in it was the bed, a table, and two chests.

"Miss?" The same red-clad man got up from a chair in the centre of the room and came to her side.

"How are you feeling?" A different, much taller, muscular man joined the other. "We were so worried when we found you."

"Found… me…. Where? What? What's going on?" Her voice was broken, she was in a tiny room with two unknown men, she had never felt so helpless in her life, and she was finding it harder to stay calm by the second.

"Why… you don't remember? There was a storm last night, and we could see a ship from the distance signalling for help… We couldn't do anything, though. No one in the town owns any boats or ships." The Red Man coughed and adjusted his bow tie. "You washed up on the shore of the beach, and Gr-"

"Did anyone else… wash up on the shore?" She had been taught that interrupting someone mid-sentence was rude, but all she could think about was that one sailor. She hadn't had any friends in a long, long time. Not since Jack left…

"No… No, you were the only one." The muscular man said. Head bowed and hands clasped together, he looked like he knew what it was like to suffer a loss.

"Miss, do you have anyone you want to call? There's a phone at the inn, and we are more than happy to help you go wherever it was you were going to." The Red Man had regained the speaking role, it would seem.

"I don't have anyone. I don't have anywhere to go to either." The present conversation was sounding familiar to her, and the pang of sadness she felt at losing the sailor grew bigger.

"But… where was that ship headed?"

"I don't know. It was the first ship to leave the dock, so that's the ship I got on." She paused. "I don't suppose anything I own washed up on shore as well?"

The Red Man _(I really need to know these people's names)_ looked concerned. "So… you have nothing?"

She smiled bitterly. "I always thought that, but now I guess it's even more true." Another pause. "I don't want to trouble you people, though. I'll leave soon, don't worry."

Before Red could say anything, muscular guy spoke up: "Or you could stay here."

"I'm sorry?"

"You could stay here. In this house. We're on a farm right now… or at least, what used to be a farm. No one lives here, and it's such a waste of fertile land."

…_This is a house?_

"Oh, he's right! I'm sure you'd be able to revive this place." Red nodded his agreement. "Only if you want to, of course." He added quickly.

Her blue eyes stared at them incredulously. "I wash up on shore… and you offer me a farm?"

"Well, I hate the thought of such a young person having nowhere to go. Besides, as Mayor of this town, I can safely say that everyone here will treat you as family. It's just a small town, after all."

_Oh, so Red's the Mayor. _

"I-I'm sorry, this is all just so sudden."

"Oh! Of course. I'm sorry, Zack and I should let you rest. The doctor said that you'd wake up throughout the night, but that you really should sleep at least 10 hours. I'll be back in the morning, so sleep tight!" The Mayor tipped his hat towards her, grabbed an umbrella leaning against the door, and walked out.

"I hope you feel better soon. I'll see you tomorrow, Miss-?" Muscle guy (_was his name Zack?) _was looking at her expectantly.

"Oh- Claire. Claire Rosten."

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

**A/N: So most fanfics seem to paint Claire as this really cheerful, kind-of-ditzy person, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with those authors' interpretations. This fic is based on the PSP Girl version of Harvest Moon, though, and that game's intro always gave me the impression that Claire was, well, alone for quite a bit. I'm sorry it's a bit short, but I wanted to end the chapter with her name for ~dramatic~ effect, so I guess all the "this farm is now yours action" will occur in the next chapter. **

**I hope this is okay, and thank you for reading!**


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